The Island of Marasia
by K. Flay
Summary: Eggman is up to no good again! The old Dr has discovered a map to an ancient lost island, and Sonic and the gang must chase him down to stop his evil scheme. They run across some old friends who are also searching for this island to investigate a mysterious disappearance. (Re-vamp of series from Sonic X) {All characters belong to SEGA, Sonic Team}
1. Prologue

**Hi everyone! Welcome to the story! It is based on the 2 episodes from Sonic X revolving their adventures on Marasia because I really liked them, but saw room for improvement. I wanted to re-create it with my own twist (for example, Chris' butt stays home) but I tried to keep the characters' personalities the same.**

 **Another thing I changed slightly that I should explain is the character Vanilla. In my series, I made Vanilla Cream's older sister (not her mom) and Amy's foremost best friend. I figured Cream was too young to completely fulfill the role of a teenager's best friend, but I like her so I didn't want to chop her out of the story.**

 **I've been working on this story for a while now and I think it's finally ready for public reading. I'm constantly trying to improve my writing style so please leave reviews on what you like/don't like. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was a darkened, dreary, silent night. A dense fog hovered stoutly over murky waters, crawling with a lethargic pace. The stillness of the water contributed to an eerie atmosphere. Amidst the thick haze, a massive military steamship navigated languidly through it. Its cool and gray metal exterior was scarcely visible through the mist. On each side, the word "Seahawk" was painted in yellow letters that had bronzed with age. In the bridge, the captain strained his eyes, glaring out the front window in an attempt to construe any figures. There had been rumors of suspicious activity amongst these waters and he had been assigned to investigate. Although the ship had been sailing for hours, he saw nothing but the endless brume.

A few yards behind him, a woman sat at the communications station. She chanted into a small speaker, "This is Seahawk. I repeat: this is Seahawk. HQ, do you read me?" She heard only a faint, indistinct crackling on the receiving end. Then finally a voice: "Seahawk, this is HQ. Please respond immediately."

She spoke again into the microphone. "This is Seahawk. I repeat: this is Seahawk." More crackling. No answer.

"HQ can't hear us," she announced to the captain. His back remained facing her, showing no response. Her bright blue eyes danced with a tinge of unease. Behind her, another crew member shouted suddenly, "The electrical interference is increasing! Our connection with headquarters is being cut off!" He attempted to mask the alarm in his voice but everyone detected it. They knew the situation lacked potential to be any worse. The entire crew looked to the captain, bearing their eyes into his back. He closed his eyes, fighting the suspicion that the interference of the electrical waves was related to the enigmatic occurrences in that area. Yet, there was a slight pang chewing inside him that correlated regret. Why had he been chosen to lead this particular mission? Why not another brave and capable captain? _It doesn't matter now, I need to focus._ He could hear the crew's silent screams begging for direction. _Save us, Captain!_

He turned to face his crew, opening his mouth to speak motivational words. A man in the rear of the room stood up suddenly, pointing at something with a trembling finger. The muscles in his neck distended while his mouth lay agape, speechless. His eyes were large and thick with awed terror as they rigidly locked on the spectacle outside the ship's window. Everyone rushed over to see, but the captain stood his ground. "Speak," he ordered the frozen sailor.

The anxious mob surrounding him gasped abruptly and the entire ship quaked, tossing everyone into the air. They hit the metal floor with a loud bang, screaming out of terror and agony. The captain grabbed a nearby railing the break his fall. He pulled himself to his knees and looked out the window, horrified. Two rays of green light were shooting from the sea, slicing through the foggy sky. The petrified faces of his crew were the last sight before a tsunami wave engulfed the entire ship and took it under. He swore he heard a blood-curdling roar before everything went black. The speaker at the communications shouted, "Seahawk! This is HQ! Seahawk, come in! Please re-". The voice cut off.

When the tides settled, all that remained was a lone life ring, floating gently in the current, with the name "Seahawk" engraved in it.


	2. Chapter 1: Confrontation

**Chapter 1: Confrontation**

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Amy asked nervously.

"Trust me, it's not," answered Vanilla with far too much confidence.

The pair were perched at the top of the giant staircase that connected the first two floors of the Thorndyke mansion in plastic laundry baskets balancing precariously on the edge of the first descending step. Tails stood at the base, holding up a wooden spoon and ready to begin their race. "Ready…"

"Maybe we should have grabbed more than a couple of pillows for protection!" Amy started to panic.

Vanilla laughed. "It's a little late for that, girl!"

"Set…"

"I think I might have left my flat iron on! I should probably go check that before—"

"Ames! Focus!"

Tails swung his spoon. "GO!"

The girls gave a big heave to push their respective baskets over the edge, feeling their hearts drop to their stomachs when it worked and the baskets picked up speed uncontrollably. They screamed in laughter as they whooshed bumpily down the staircase, knocking their teeth together. Just as they thought they were going to make it, the baskets hit the floor and simultaneously flipped. The girls tumbled out, landing roughly on the white tile unprotected by the meager number of cushions they packed but still laughing raucously. Tails cheered at their success, leaping on to the pillows to laugh with them. "THAT WAS AWESOME!" the trio chimed happily.

A sharp three-beat knock on the main door quickly silenced them. Amy and Vanilla scrambled to clean up while Tails organized his thoughts to answer the mystery knocker.

"Knuckles!" exclaimed Tails when he opened the front door to find his old ally standing on the porch. "What're you doing here?"

"I need your help, Tails." Knuckles invited himself in. The young fox closed the door and turned his attention to Knuckles, eager to listen.

"Eggman was on Angel Island yesterday," the echidna began. The urgency in his voice immediately roused Tails's interest. "I was doing my rounds in the mountains when I heard his voice coming from inside one of the caves. I hid outside so he wouldn't spot me and listened. He was saying something about finally finding a map to an ancient island called 'Marasia'."

This pulled more interest from Tails. "Marasia…?"

Knuckles nodded. "Yeah, do you know anything about this place?"

Tails rubbed his chin. "No, but I'm sure we could use Chuck's computer to find out more!" He felt excitement brewing in his chest as he cogitated researching this discovery. "C'mon!" He motioned for Knuckles to follow him up the grand stair case they had just performed a race on to the attic, where Chuck's, Chris's grandfather, office was. They quickly made their way to the attic entrance. Tails popped his head through the wooden hatch and scanned the room, surprised to find it vacant. He pulled himself through the opening and trotted over to the huge master computer sitting on a large wooden desk. He fired up the antique machine, idly wondering if it still functioned properly considering its age was not far from that of Chuck himself. He pulled up a search engine and got to work while Knuckles quietly watched on.

Their attention was momentarily diverted when the soft pounding of rapid footsteps sounded below near the stairway, accompanied by the gentle melody of young girlish laughter and the joyful shriek of a Chao. Suddenly a pale blue missile shot through the opening right at Knuckles. Quick as a flash, he caught the projectile but stumbled under the impact. Before he could identify it, a mass of cream-colored fur accelerated at him paired with more squealing and enveloped his vision. His breath was wrenched out of him as the body of fur slammed right into his gut and smashed them both into the hard wooden floor with the furball shrieking the entire way.

The ceiling spun around Knuckles as lay discombobulated, then a pair of big brown eyes appeared in front of him. "Are you okay?" Her mouth moved, it didn't match her words. Vaguely, he heard Tails's concerned voice call out his name.

Knuckles vigorously shook his head and pushed himself up. Slowly the haziness cleared until he could fully see Tails and Cream gaping with worry. Vanilla was on his right, kneeling next to him. They all stared with wide eyes. Cream suddenly burst out, "I'm so sorry Mr. Knuckles! It was an accident! Please forgive Cheese and I!" Her giant brown eyes quivered with fear, and she sounded close to tears. Her pet Chao, Cheese, mirrored her expression.

The first girl's voice sounded again. "Are you okay, Knuckles?" It was Vanilla. Knuckles met her worried gaze and nodded succinctly. Even though the younger sister caused the accident, he was surprised to feel a little nudge of guilt after seeing genuine remorse flooding her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine." Hesitantly, he added, "Just… Watch where you're going." Vanilla offered a hand to help him up, which he accepted.

"Yeah, someone could have seriously gotten hurt," Tails asserted kindly before returning to his seat at the computer. Cream, Cheese, and Vanilla nodded fervently. Tails glanced at them warily before returning to his work on the computer. "What are you guys doing up here anyway?"

"We were just playing tag. What are _you_ guys doing?" Vanilla peered over his shoulder at the monitor.

Knuckles tried to block her view and prepared to emit a tart reply, but Tails beat him. "Knuckles was spying on Eggman and heard him talking about this old island called Marasia! So we're researching it to see if we can find out why Eggman's so interested. You know there's gotta be something strange if it catches Egghead's eye!" The golden fox's voice sparkled with excitement, and his fingers danced rapidly over the keyboard. Chuck's computer groaned with effort as it tried to keep up.

Cream clasped her hands and squealed. "Are you going on an adventure? Cheese and I love adventures!"

Knuckles briskly stepped in front of the young bunny and growled, "No, we're not going on an adventure, and even if we were there's no way we'd bring you along." His violet eyes narrowed as he towered over a frightened Cream and Cheese. Vanilla was instantly at her sister's side. Stepping in front of Knuckles, she mimicked his power stance and retorted, "There's no way we would wanna go anywhere with your grouchy ass!"

"Good. I didn't hear anyone asking you to come either," the hotheaded echidna shot back. The two Mobians locked eyes in a nonverbal war. Cream, clutching Cheese, darted her eyes back and forth, too terrified to speak.

Oblivious to the tension behind him, Tails exclaimed, "Here it is!" Vanilla and Knuckles broke apart to look at Tails. The young fox continued with eyes still fixed on the computer screen. " **The ancient island of Marasia: a land formerly inhabited by a civilization possessing an unusually exceptional knowledge of science and technology, which thus enabled them to surpass neighboring groups and continue advancing exponentially as a wise use of a rare element that occurred naturally only on that particular island, called Marasium. However, some few hundred years ago, the entire fraction of land disappeared, not only geographically but also physically. Archeologists and historians are unable to determine the cause or causes for the island's disappearance. They have had no leads and to this day the puzzle continues to baffle them as to what happened to this mysterious island."**

Knuckles threw one last dirty look at Vanilla and slid over to Tails. "I'll bet that special element is what Eggman's looking for. If it made the Marasians so powerful, just imagine what he'd do with it."

Tails nodded, his thoughts already racing. Eggman had discovered a map to this island, so all they had to do was find him and follow him and catch him before he could get to the Marasium. ' _Just wait until Sonic hears about this!_ ' He jumped out of the chair and dashed out of the attic to find his speedy blue friend.

• ○ O O O • ○ • O O O ○ •

 _{At G.U.N headquarters…}_

Rouge glared at her superior, Captain Westwood, with pure disgust. She sat directly across from him at the far end of the conference desk. The rest of the twelve-man team sitting around the table listened attentively to ostentatious buffoon with wide eyes. Rouge gave them a scorching once-over, unnoticed by them, and leaned back in her chair while daintily resting one leg over the other. She despised Westwood so much.

"It's far too dangerous to send out another team to find the Seahawk crew," the captain insisted coldly despite not receiving any resistance. "Who's to say that we won't lose another crew if we venture out to that area again?" He slammed a fist on the table and took a dramatic pause to let his words sink in with the overly courteous audience. "We're better off doing more research so we can find out exactly what is going on over there. The best weapon we have is knowledge. Agreed?"

Everyone around the table swapped silent glances, indicating their blind acceptance. Except for Rouge.

"I don't think this Westwood guy knows what he's talking about," she sneered loudly to an adjacent colleague, Agent Wahlberg. The white-furred agent glanced at Westwood to assess his reaction, which of course was a healthy scowl. Agent Wahlberg nervously glanced back and forth between the contenders. Rouge went on, "What he's saying is we should hide out like a bunch of ostriches with our heads in the sand? Is that what we are as G.U.N agents?" Now she was standing in her chair. She kicked it up by placing a steel-toe boot on the polished table, threatening to walk the catwalk. "Have G.U.N agents become so afraid that we refuse to risk our lives to rescue other agents? Where's the honor in that Westwood?" She spat out his name like a rotten grape.

Captain Westwood glared, livid with the young bat as she audaciously walked across the large table toward him. Each * _clack*_ made him clench more and more. His fists and shoulders tightened as he spat out, "Please take a seat, Agent Rouge."

Agent Rouge tossed a flirtatious little wink at her superior and strutted back to her chair at the opposite end of the table, still standing tall and proud. "Alright, _Captain,_ " she cooed. "I'll sit back just like you want me to and tuck my tail between my legs. No point in fighting for something you believe in, right?" She slowly lowered herself back into the seat, letting her speech sink into the shocked silence. Resuming her cross-legged position, she placed a toe on the table's edge and leaned back.

All the teammates again fixed their ogling on Westwood with quaint curiosity. Rouge knew she had them, even if not one said anything.

Captain Westwood squeezed his eyes shut. He could feel the heat of Rouge's deeply sarcastic gaze. ' _Why am I stuck with her?_ ' Exhaling, he opened his eyes and settled them on his mutinous agent. "What do you propose then, Rouge?"

"Oh captain!" the bat purred, stroking her cheek. "I thought you'd never ask!" She popped up again and wandered around the room. "I say we go back out there and look for that lost crew. Ah ah ah!" Rouge held off Westwood's snarl with a wagging finger. "What about taking an aircraft? Makes more sense, isn't that right Captain?" She turned her head slightly to peer at him out of her peripheral, a hint of a smirk resting on her lips.

Westwood responded with a curt nod, steaming at her smug expression. "Fair enough. Since there was a disturbance in the sea, using a helicopter would provide a safer means of transportation." He then assigned the agents a position and gave instructions for when the team would meet next. Rouge noticed that he excluded her name.

Westwood dismissed the team. "Except for you, Rouge." He watched as everyone gathered their things and saluted in farewell before exiting. Rouge watched them go as well, then glided back to her seat, conscious that Westwood's eyes tracked her movements. Crossing her arms, she met his steely gaze. Even though she won the argument, she knew she lacked his support. That had to change.

Once the last team member filed neatly out of the room, Westwood unleashed his anger. "That was highly inappropriate, Agent Rouge. As your captain, I deserve the utmost respect from my agents, including you. I don't care about your personal issues. Don't let me catch you behaving like that again." He sounded like a father scolding a rebellious child. "As a result, I'm restricting you from joining this mission. I can't trust you to follow my directions, and I won't tolerate any more disrespect. Additionally—"

"WHOA! Whoa whoa whoa, hold up!" Rouge's wings burst out and she was at Westwood's nose in an instant. Her turquoise eyes flashed with anger. " _I'm_ not going on this mission?! How about _you're_ not going on this mission?!" She jerked closer to him and jabbed a gloved finger into his chest. "It was _my_ idea to go and check out this spot in the first place. Second, Topaz was on that ship. _My partner._ I will fight tooth and nail to make sure she's safe. And _you"—_ jab _—"can't"—"stop me"—_ jab.

Westwood stared her down evenly. A storm of conflicting emotions passed his face, but he quickly composed himself. Stepping back, he held his hands behind his back and hissed, "I don't doubt your loyalty. But that leaves no room to justify insulting your superior officer." He paused to stare at the ceiling. Rouge dropped to stand on the table, resting her hands on her hips. If this cocky bastard didn't change his mind, she'd be in a lot more trouble than disrespecting her captain.

He finally looked at her. "I have decided to let you join this mission. You will be second in command only to me. But let me make one thing clear." He leaned in close. "I will accept nothing but your best behavior. One snide remark, one insolent comeback—" he made a neck-slicing motion "—and you're out. Understood?"

Rouge broke into a devilish grin and offered her hand. "Don't worry captain, I'll be on my best behavior!" Westwood stared at her outstretched fingers, not completely amused.

"Dismissed."

Rouge's smirk fell slightly, but she saluted him anyway and glided out of the room. Excitement tingled in her bones like a giddy school girl. ' _Hold on Topaz, I'm coming for ya!_ '

* * *

 **Whew! First chapter is done! What are your thoughts so far? Rouge vs. Westwood: what side are you on?**

 **Just to clarify, none of these characters are OC, aside from a couple of random G.U.N agents that won't be mentioned more than once. I'm trying to keep it real, ya know?**

 **Leave me a review!**


	3. Chapter 2: Trouble

**Chapter 2: Trouble**

"Rocket thrusters!"

"Check."

"Engine turbines!"

"Check."

"Aeronautic fluid!"

"Uh… Check!"

Tails fired off the last of the X-Tornado's necessities to Chuck for their flight to Marasia. Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, and Vanilla stood nearby on the launch pad. A crisp wind whistled through the air as if to whisper warnings of unknown dangers and adventure that this island held for the gang.

Knuckles idly watched Tails and Chuck, while Vanilla kept casting side-eye glances at him from a few yards away. Amy stood next to her rambling on (most likely about Sonic), but the rabbit was distracted. She couldn't stop thinking about the almost-scrap she almost got into with that hotheaded echidna. ' _Why is he so cheesed off about everything all the time? Can't he chill for like two seconds?_ '

She vaguely noticed Amy pause. But her mind stayed on Knuckles. They had known each other for a few years by now, but she was still perplexed by his rigid behavior. Maybe a lifetime of guarding a powerful relic like the Master Emerald forced him to master self-discipline to the extreme. But was it really necessary to be that defensive around friends, assuming he even considered them that close?

"Hey, Vanilla?" Amy's curious voice finally broke the rabbit out of her thoughts. Vanilla snapped to attention, noticing the strange look her friend was giving her. Amy's mouth slowly dropped open as she realized what—or who—was so distracting. "Oh, my Chaos, where you just checking out-?!"

Vanilla shot her hand to Amy's mouth while fiercely shushing her. She glanced back at Knuckles to make sure he wasn't listening. Thankfully, he was still fully engrossed watching Tails and Chuck. Back to Amy. Vanilla slapped her hand and hissed, "NO! I was _not_ checking out that dill hole. I… was just…" She searched for the right words to express her impeccable lack of interest in him, but nothing came out.

Amy watched her friend stare at the ground angrily. Something was wrong. She grabbed her hand and forced eye contact. "Nil, if you like Knuckles, you have to tell me." Even though Amy used her childhood nickname for her best friend, she was all business.

Unusually speechless, Vanilla finally met Amy's gaze. "Nooo, I definitely do not like him! I was just thinking about how he got pissy with Cream and Cheese, even though all they were doing was playing a little game! After we apologized too!" Her eyes glazed over with anger and the words were flowing. "They were just trying to have some fun, ya know? And they just happened to bump into him and he totally turned into a nasty, asinine, son of a—"

"Oh-kay, I think I get your point!" Amy swiftly interrupted before the girl rage-ranted until sunset. Offering a sympathetic smile, she finished, "Knuckles overreacted, I know." She rested a hand on her shoulder.

Vanilla nodded angrily, staring at the ground again. Cream was her sister, and Knuckles snapped at her! Her beloved baby sister who she helped raise! If he had any respect for anyone but his own Chaos-damn self…

Knuckles heard the two girls gossiping about something behind him, but could pick out very few words. He snorted, sure his name was mentioned. ' _Females are ridiculous. I don't get how anyone can stand them! They make everything complicated._ ' Subconsciously his mind drifted to one female in particular. ' _Rouge._ ' A rush of emotions swept over him. Anger. Intimidation. Admiration. Lust? He was both impressed and unsettled by how she had the audacity to put herself in conflict with him. Usually people were somewhere between afraid and disdained. It was intriguing.

But then the indignation returned in full force when he remembered how strangely offended she seemed after he saved her life on the space colony ARK. Right after she had tried to steal his Master Emerald! He crossed his arms tighter thinking about the shock on her face as she tore her hand away from his. But then her expression switched to something more soft and vulnerable… Affection? And that strange sensation he felt. ' _What was that feeling?_ '

Knuckles shuddered, trying to shake away the memory of that uncomfortable prickling all over his body the moment his violet eyes locked with her radiant teal ones. Her gaze had held his so tightly without a breath of effort, glimmering like a Chaos Emerald. And then there was something about the grace and beauty of her body as it moved during the fight. ' _It might be fun to experiment in other ways…'_ Knuckles quickly shook his head, startled by his own thoughts. ' _What's wrong with me? I don't have time for that. My duty is to the Master Emerald and my race. I can't allow anything to distract me._ ' He resumed watching Chuck and Tails to distract himself from those unnerving desires.

Sonic gave a glorious stretch in the golden sunlight. It was perfect weather for flying. The sky shone a clear blue while the wind blew a lazy draft. Sonic was almost looking forward to the trip, imagining the rush of air whipping against his fur again. There was nothing quite like that feeling of freedom. Then he remembered their destination: an island. One small piece of land surrounded by miles of deadly waters that could be the memorial tombs for countless lives… Sonic shook his arms and legs to clear the panic. ' _You're being a baby. Just don't think about it._ ' He returned to imagining the adrenaline rush of a new adventure. ' _Yeah, this is gonna be awesome!_ '

"X-Tornado, ready for takeoff!" Tails' call drew everyone's attention. The young fox stood at the cockpit, strong and proud as he looked down to his crew. The all smiled back with utmost confidence in their captain and pilot. He wouldn't let them down. "All aboard for Marasia!" He jumped into his pilot's seat and started up the plane. Everyone else took their place: Sonic and Knuckles on either wing with Amy and Vanilla tucked safely into passenger seats. Chuck stood back on the launch pad, gazing admirably at his friends and wishing them farewell. The X-Tornado slowly began moving forward, gaining speed. It shot up into the sky, growing further and further away from the place they called home.

• ○ • ○ ○ • ○ •

Dr. Robotnik stood in the depths of a large cave, cackling to himself. His hearty laughter, accompanied by water droplets hitting a small pool, echoed through the walls. A rustic orange-brown clothed the cave's geological structures and emphasized its ancientness. Moss crept in and out of the rock and made its way to the pool opposite to Robotnik. Interrupting the natural serenity, his computers and lab equipment were assembled in the center of the cave. His robotic servants, Decoe and Bocoe, watched their maniacal boss enthrall himself and exchanged their usual puzzled glances, wondering what he had planned. The last time the doctor tried anything that involved taking over the world was using the Eclipse Cannon on Space Colony ARK three months ago. And, following a pattern, it had failed.

The three had set up their appliances in the heart of a volcano on some island in the middle of nowhere, population: 0. The volcano had been inactive since the last civilization inhabited the island hundreds of years ago. Now, the island was full of overgrown plant life, decayed rock, and a demented scientist.

Robotnik continued laughing to himself while he finished putting together his last piece of equipment. He ordered Bocoe and Decoe, "Pay close attention! I'm giving you a very important assignment. As you know, the reason we are here is to find and collect a rare element known as Marasium. This substance is VERY special. I need you to gather some for me." He handed each of them a handheld device with a sort of tracking system. "These radar will help you. The most radioactive Marasium will give off the strongest signal. Those are most desirable. Now go! Time is short!"

The two robots nodded eagerly and scurried away. Robotnik watched them depart with a miniscule grin peeping through his bushy mustache. Decoe and Bocoe's assignment had merely been a diversion so he could work in peace. The antique element might not even exist anymore. They would be gone for hours, but Robotnik knew he'd be pushing his luck to hope they would never return. Alas, his plan was going smoothly. Not even that irritating Sonic could track him down and ruin his animus. ' _I will carry out my project. The Robotnik Empire begins here and now!_ '

• ○ • ○ ○ • ○ •

Sonic leapt off the X-Tornado before it even touched land. He landed in a somersault and performed a quick visual scan. Aside from the surrounding ocean, there was no water in sight. ' _Perfect._ ' He stood up and breathed in the humid island air. Beautiful. His quills swayed as a strong breeze surrounded him. The wind was much stronger here near the ocean. It rushed through the leaves of the dense jungle trees. Ferns and bushes joined in the dance, concealing any pathway that may have been there. But it was unusually quiet; the typical jungle soundtrack was lacking animal sounds. ' _Probably 'cause anything that lived here vanished decades ago._ '

Just above the treetops he noticed a distinctly pyramid-shaped mountain. ' _A volcano!_ ' Sonic grinned. ' _This could be fun!_ '

Above him, mechanical whirring signaled the X-Tornado's landing, drawing his attention. He saw the crew descending together, each of them radiating excitement. Sonic tried unsuccessfully to ignore the way his stomach flipped when he caught Amy smiling at him. _'Dang… She's so cute.'_ Her perfectly pink quills waved in the breeze as her eyes scanned the new environment. He couldn't help but notice how they sparkled like early morning dew on fresh leaves. Suddenly an urge to forget about the mission and take her to just explore the island hit him. It would be just the two of them, hanging out together without anyone to bother them. He'd place a bright jungle flower in her hair and she would tell him how much she adored him…

A set of fierce indigo eyes appeared, blocking his vision and abruptly pulling him out of his fantasy. "Stop ogling Amy and start making a plan," Knuckles growled. "Let's find Eggman and get out of here, fast."

Sonic grinned at his buddy. "Heh, don't worry Knuckles. We'll get you back home to your Master Emerald in no time!"

"Good." Knuckles ignored the dig and turned away. He closed his eyes, trying to get a feel for the ecology of this new place. All of the foliage whispered faintly, but he could not grasp their words. There appeared to be no disturbances, yet.

An unnatural clanking noise interrupted his meditation. Silencing the immediate irritation, he wrenched open his eyes to glare at Tails retrieving an entire lab's worth of technology from the X-Tornado's storage compartment and directing Amy and Vanilla where to place them. When they finished, Tails had everything a boy genius would need on a deserted island: computer systems, monitors, radar, hundreds of cords and wires, a satellite… Everything but a map.

"Alright team, we made it! The island of Marasia!" The young fox announced cheerfully. Everyone gathered around him. "Here's the plan. We all know Eggman is searching for the rare element called Marasium. It's naturally occurring, and radioactive, so we'll most likely find it inside a volcano. That's where Eggman is probably camped out! So—"

"Hold up." Vanilla interjected with one hand on her hip and the other palm up at the team brains. "Don't tell me we have to go INSIDE that volcano!" She waved at the gargantuan radioactive rock formation behind them.

Tails smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry, Vanilla. I did some research. The volcano's been inactive for like a hundred years. You'll be safe, I promise."

"What about all that radioactive stuff?"

Tails maintained his kind smile. "There's radioactive isotopes in the volcanic rock, so you won't have to worry about being poisoned or anything just from going into the volcano." He hesitated. "But… If you do find some Marasium, you really wanna be careful because it is pretty strong."

Now Knuckles gave the fox a skeptical look. "And you're just gonna send us in there?"

"Heh, you scared Knuckles?" Sonic sneered. His emerald eyes glimmered with a challenge.

Knuckles spat, "Of course not! I'm worried how someone weak like you would be able to handle it." He bared his fists, ready to give the annoying hedgehog a good blow.

Amy briskly pushed between the two. "Stop it! We're here to nab Eggman, remember?" She threw a harsh glare at Knuckles. He opened his mouth to spit out a tart reply but found his lips unable to move anymore. His muscles stiffened, and he couldn't move at all. A searing pain tore through his body head to toe, forcing him into paralysis.

Simultaneously, Vanilla released a terrifying caterwaul, raising a trembling finger to point at Knuckles' torso. A single dart jutted out of his side, emitting a clear liquid that flowed down his flank. Fighting against the pain and without thinking, Knuckles yanked the protrusion out. Scowling at the clear tube in his white palm, he saw a miniscule inscription etched across the barrel: "G.U.N." ' _Oh crap…_ ' Then the pain took over, blurring the syringe with the soft sand and blue sky. He felt his systems all shut down, sinking into a quiet and dark oblivion.

* * *

 **I believe that since Knuckles was raised living in nature, he has developed something of a sixth sense with an affinity to natural life. This is why he listened to/heard the trees speaking to him. It's one of my own personal twists that add flavor but do not drive the plot. So it proooobably won't be mentioned again.**

 **And for those of you who are wondering, no, this is not a love story. As exemplified in this chapter, there are hints of feelings between some characters, but their relationships and any romantic interactions have no impact in the grand scheme of things. This story is purely about the adventure.**


	4. Chapter 3: Discovery

**Chapter 3: Discovery**

Knuckles' eyes flew open. They were welcomed by the scenery of a soft blue sky partially covered with fresh green leaves resting on the tips of tree branches. A slight breeze brushed in the familiar scent of his home.

Slowly turning his head to the right, then left, Knuckles saw olden gray stones etched into a circular pattern around him on either side. He slowly traced his finger along the small crevice between two of the rocks. He knew these stones. He was back at the altar of the Master Emerald, on Angel Island!

' _How is this possible?_ ' Knuckles shot up pin straight, breathing rapidly. ' _I don't remember finding Eggman, or catching him… What is going on?!_ ' He sought to calm the rising alarm in his chest when the gentle breeze blew in another familiar scent. It instantly set off a windstorm of emotions: unbridled elation that made his head spin, countered by anxiety that tightened his stomach and fist-clenching tension, followed by rampant desire that left him wanting more…

While he was preoccupied calming his raging heartbeat, Knuckles vaguely noticed a silhouetted figure casting a shadow over him. Nervously, he looked up. Then he saw her. ' _Rouge._ '

The mesmerizingly alluring bat retracted her wings, her teal eyes locking with his violet ones. Knuckles was no longer aware of anything else. The warm sunlight, slight breeze, and smell of home seemed to fade away. Those beckoning blue-green irises enraptured his soul, connecting the two of them without the slightest touch. They drew closer and closer, bringing the soft outline of her cheeks mere inches away from his gaze. He was lost in her eyes.

Suddenly, a jolt of electricity shot through Knuckles. His arms and legs came to life, flinging themselves around Rouge's body and whipping them both around so Knuckles lay on top while grasping Rouge's voluptuous midline. A deep exhale pulled their lips nearer with only a breath to keep them apart. Knuckles relaxed his eyes, ready to satisfy his burning craving for the bat.

Just as their lips were about to meet, Rouge abruptly shouted his name. The urgency in her tone made him instantly alert, but her voice sounded different. It almost sounded like—

' _Tails?_ '

"Knuckles, wake up!" ' _Wait, that IS Tails!_ '

Rouge face started to pull away from him, twisting into a vortex of itself and steadily stealing away the sweet sensation of her body pressed against his. Knuckles' arms flailed in a desperate attempt to hold her close still, but Tails' voice only augmented while Rouge's presence diminished. A painfully bright light emerged from seemingly nowhere, pulsing in silence. He jammed his eyes shut and covered his ears, begging for it to stop. He felt his body give a huge tremor then collapse into weakness. ' _She's gone…_ '

•○•○•○•○•

Tails kneeled over Knuckles' unconscious body, frantically waving and snapping. "Knuckles, wake up! Knuckles!" He tried peeling an eye open but it stubbornly slid back.

"Hey, jackholes!" Sonic snarled at a wave of camouflage-clad persons fanning out from nearby trees. Each was decked out in protective garb from head to toe and holding various firearms. The assailant emerged last, front and center with his weapon raised to point at Knuckles' limp body. He tore away his mask to reveal a face, although morphed from shock and concern, was too familiar.

"Captain Westwood!" Sonic and Tails exchanged appalled glowers. The two recalled stories told by Knuckles of how difficult and obnoxious the esteemed G.U.N member was.

Another familiar face appeared from behind the captain, mirroring Sonic and Tails' disgust. Catching sight of Knuckles, she let out a pained yelp and lurched toward him but Westwood clutched her wrist and forcefully held her back. "Easy, Agent Rouge."

"Sweet Chaos, Westwood! How many bad impulse decisions you gotta make before you kill someone?" Rouge tried to shake her arm free.

"I've already given you one warning Rouge. If you can't submit, I will personally fly you back to HQ!" Westwood pushed Rouge behind him, practically spitting on her.

"If you're gonna act like my dad then go ahead and curb my allowance too." Rouge rolled her eyes and turned away.

Westwood ignored her and addressed the greater threat of Sonic and his team. "It appears that a misfire has resulted in the injury of your acquaintance."

"Injury?" Amy jerked toward the captain, hammer ready. "You shot him unconscious!"

Vanilla joined her, completing the protective line. "What did you to do him?!"

Westwood dropped his gun and raised his palms defensively. "Now, let's be calm. I believe the more important matter at hand is our respective missions. A marine team of ours has gone missing just off the coast of this island. Perhaps your team could lend us some assistance."

"Tell us what was in that syringe!" Tails snapped, making everyone jump. Uncomfortable by everyone's staring, he reiterated more calmly through gritted teeth, "What did you shoot into Knuckles?"

With a nod from Westwood, a G.U.N member from the captain's left stepped forward. He did not remove his mask and stood hunched over, but his voice rang clear with confidence. "The serum was one I created as a test poison, designed to paralyze and shut down its targets. I brought it to try out on this mission, to see exactly what its effects were on living things. Since there was supposedly no humans living on this island, no moral code would be broken. Also—"

"Wait, so you don't even know if he'll wake up?" gasped Vanilla.

Rouge sighed, making her way across the beach. "Shame. I'm gonna miss that knucklehead."

"Hey, I'll bet you that Master Emerald is up for grabs now!" Sonic cracked drily. He received a quick swat to the ribs from Amy. "Ouch! Guess Knuckles spirit doesn't share our humor."

"Yeah, might be too soon for jokes, Blue." Rouge stood over Knuckles and gazed at him somberly. She would miss that annoying chiseled face. ' _Assuming he doesn't make it…_ '

"Guys, be serious!" Vanilla censured, glaring at Rouge and Sonic. "Knuckles could die!"

Captain Westwood approached the group. "There's no way an agent of mine killed an innocent bystander. I have an elite crew of highly trained specialists." He took a knee to examine Knuckles closely, checking his pulse. A minuscule frown appeared his lips. There was no pulse.

Rouge noticed her captain's dismay and brushed him aside. "You never were one for medical care, Captain…" ' _Wrong part of the neck and he didn't even check for breathing!_ ' After her own examination, Rouge exhaled in relief. Knuckles did have a pulse, although weak, and shallow breaths.

"But you just said it was a misfire," Amy pointed out.

"One that will not be taken lightly…" murmured Westwood. He snapped his attention to the creator of the poison. "Huber. Do we have the materials on board to run some blood tests?"

The G.U.N agent nodded. "We can protract samples from his puncture wound. However… the tests may take hours for results."

Westwood gave a succinct nod. "Excellent. Let's get rolling." Rising to two feet, the captain addressed his entire crew, who was still waiting patiently juxtapose to the jungle. He split them into teams, sending three to search the island, one to stay on the beach to contact their missing crew, and one to run Knuckles' tests. "We want to minimize casualties and optimize efficiency. Move out."

As the G.U.N agents divided themselves, Vanilla stepped in front of the captain. "Whoa there buddy. You're not just gonna leave our friend here, passed out!"

Westwood tossed her a passive glance as he received equipment from one of his agents. "That is no longer in my hands, sweetheart. Talk to the lab techs." With that, he slung a backpack over his shoulder and strode off with his teammates into the jungle.

•○•○•○•○•

Tails drummed his fingers against the base of his radio receiver. He had been waiting for over an hour for a report from Sonic. And it had been almost three hours since Knuckles' testing began. All of G.U.N.'s agents were busy looking for their teammates. All of his friends were looking for Eggman, aside from Knuckles. The techs refused to let him even observe Knuckles' testing even though Tails could have performed them himself, and with flawless precision. But he settled with waiting patiently and praying his friend wouldn't leave the island with an extra appendage or missing dreadlocks.

A gust of wind rustled Tails' golden fur, sending a shiver up his spine. The island was still oddly quiet; it gave the place an eerie feel. ' _Maybe it means something…_ '

Perhaps time would move faster if Tails could distract himself with that combustion turbine upgrade for the X-Tornado he had been dying to work on… ' _I'm sure leaving the radio for a few minutes wouldn't hurt._ ' With barely a moment's hesitation, the kitsune was scuttling over to his plane, leaving his station unattended.

•○•○•○•○•

Harsh, bright light perforated Knuckles' vision. It was almost overbearing. He shifted his eyes left and right.

There was nothing. Nothing but the bright light.

Where was everyone? Was he dead? ' _No! No, no no no!_ ' Knuckles squeezed his eyes shut and screamed a holy wail of terror, attacking the menacing luminescence. His arms and legs thrashed around. All he felt was absolute panic emitting from his core.

Then he saw it. A dark streak slid through his peripheral vision, slithering closer. ' _Not on my watch!_ ' Knuckles launched a hard fist at the silhouette. He gasped when his hand sunk elbow deep into the creature like it was marshmallow. Years of martial arts instincts kicked in and he hurled the reptilian foe over his shoulder, slamming it against the ground with a satisfying CLANG! Knuckles whipped around to face any more, if they dared. His heart raced, and blood roared in his ears. All his senses were on high alert.

He saw an opening, an escape from the unrelenting illumination and dashed to it, stumbling over obstacles he couldn't even see. He heard angry voices shouting behind, growing more and more distant with each retreating bound. He finally burst through the opening. Knuckles was free!

But an entirely unfamiliar scene met his eyes. Assorted shades of green and indistinct shapes consumed most of the view, with a stretch of light blue settling behind them. In the center, Knuckles saw a tall blank shape that tapered off at the top. It seemed quite far away from the array of greens, but it swayed with the same rhythm as the rest. All of the colors lurched concurrently in a subtle dance to their own music.

Then Knuckles had a moment of clarity: Robotnik. Marasia. Sonic and Tails. Save the world.

A delicious smiled crept across the echidna's lips. ' _Just like the old times!_ ' He rapidly stumbled into the swirl of greens, preparing for the next adventure.

•○•○•○•○•

Sonic, Amy, and Vanilla trudged through a seemingly endless shroud of tangled twigs and scratchy leaves. Communication between them and Tails had been minimal. There was nothing to report aside from the occasional approximated location. The volcano still seemed at least a mile away, and the humidity paired with harsh sunlight made conditions highly uncomfortable.

In front, Vanilla mimicked Westwood's parting words with a Neanderthal-style tone. "Meh, I'm Captain Westwood, and my head is too far up my rectum to care about your friend!"

Sonic and Amy couldn't resist giggling behind her.

"Meh, I'm Westwood, and my brain's too full of pudding to figure out how poison works!" Amy snickered.

Sonic chortled, "I'm surprised he made it here without accidentally shooting down his pilot!"

"He probably didn't even know how to use a gun before shooting Knuckles!" Vanilla snorted, swatting away plants. "It's kind of amazing that Rouge deals with him."

"Check it out!" Sonic halted his track, grabbing Amy and Vanilla.

Amy let out a small giggle, "Oh Sonic, you're so romantic!" The girls stopped too, trailing his gaze to a small gray object hiding in the plantation that reflected a stream of sunlight squeezing through the treetops. A familiar red logo decorated the polygon.

Amy gasped. "That's an Eggman device! Sonic, wait!" The impulsive blue hedgehog had already sped over and scooped up the item. He tossed it around in his hand, observing its aerodynamics.

"Aw, c'mon Amy! It can't be that dangerous. No way old Egghead knows we followed him here."

Vanilla cautiously joined Sonic, scouring the nearby foliage for any more Robotnik devices. "He's got a point Ames." She scanned the sky and treetops too. "He'd have us ambushed the second he caught a whiff of us following him."

"Hmm, you're right. We should let Tails know what we found. Maybe he'll have an idea of what it is." Amy opened her wrist com-link and tuned the frequency to Tails' beach radio. She waited for a response, but met static silence. "Tails, do you read me? This is Amy. Come in." More audible fuzz. Amy frowned. Why wasn't Tails answering? She decided to consult her team. "Guys—Hey!"

Sonic had escalated his tossing the Eggman device into a game of catch with Vanilla, both of them smiling too widely. Sonic was mid-throw when Amy caught them. Her eyes followed the object's flight path straight into Vanilla's grasp, who was now yards away from him. Amy stamped her foot. "Hey! I think Tails is in trouble!"

Vanilla, ready to return Sonic's throw, froze immediately. She dropped her arm and turned to Amy. "What do you mean? He's got those G.U.N soldiers to protect him if anything happens."

"But he isn't answering his com-link! You know he always answers!"

Sonic stroked his chin nervously. "If Tails is in trouble, I think we should check on him."

"But we're more than halfway to the volcano! Don't you wanna nab Eggman?" Vanilla frowned at the hedgehog's sudden lack of zeal.

"Eggman will always be there. I'd rather have my friends safe than Eggman's evil plans ruined. I won't make that sacrifice."

Amy interjected brightly, "Maybe we don't have to! Captain Westwood gave us his team's radio frequency, remember?"

Vanilla raised an eyebrow at her best friend. "Are you saying we send his team back? Won't that waste their time?"

Amy shook her head. "They already have a team onshore. We can contact Tails through them! So no one has to go back or waste their time."

"Good idea, Amy." Sonic's praise took the pink hedgehog by surprise. She blushed madly that he noticed her brilliance, too flustered for words. Sonic smirked at the girl's embarrassment. He grew serious. "But we can't go anywhere until we talk to G.U.N."

Vanilla nodded. "Fair enough."

Amy complied and tuned her com-link to Westwood's party. "Come in Westwood, This is Amy Rose…"

* * *

 **Looks like things are finally kicking up for this island adventure!**

 **Where is Tails?**

 **What will happen to an impaired Knuckles?**

 **Will Sonic, Amy and Vanilla find Robotnik?**

 **The battle between Rouge and Westwood continues!**

 **Leave me a review with comment, questions, and tips! :)**


	5. Chapter 4: Clock

**Chapter 4: Clock**

Rouge wiped the sweat off of her cheek as she followed her colleagues, stomping through the jungle. The sun had climbed to its highest point, resulting in a humidity so thick that it even distracted her from Westwood's incessant boorishness. There really was no need to be as condescending as he was. Rouge had been the obvious choice to lead Team B, especially since the captain promised her a position of second-in-command. But of course, he changed his mind at the last minute and demoted her on the petty basis of disdain for her. And now she was trapped under his idiotic grip, which he could shove—

' _What's that noise?'_

A vivacious rustling in some plants to the right caught her sensitive ears. Checking the Westwood wasn't looking, Rouge slipped away from her team and dove into the ferns. She somersaulted into a kneel, hiding under the cover of the plants from whoever—whatever—was there. As the footsteps of her team faded, so did the rustling. But the latter sound was replaced by intense whispering.

"Did they see us?"

"I don't know! Are they gone yet?"

Rouge's eyes widened. She knew those voices! They meant no good. She crept closer, moving with ultimate care. Through the leaves, Rouge caught a glimpse of two robot bodies, one yellow and one gray. They were poorly hidden as they crouched and peeked out like groundhogs, still whispering with each other. Rouge smirked at seeing her suspicions confirmed. _'It's Robotnik's robot henchmen, Decoe and Bocoe. But why would they care if G.U.N agents saw them?'_ They wouldn't unless they had something—or someone—G.U.N wanted! If she followed them without getting caught, they would lead her right to the doctor's base and the missing Seahawk screw!

Rouge's smile deepened while imagining the look on Westwood's face after realizing his top agent disappeared to find the people for whom they came to the island. He would have no choice but recognize her ability as a useful G.U.N member. Then he would have to report back to the Commander and president about how she single-handedly fulfilled their mission. _'I don't normally care for revenge, but I like the way this plays out.'_

Rouge lifted her foot to scoot closer. Simultaneously, a terrifying screech sounded behind her and startled her into a protective crouch. It shrieked, "I FOUND YOU!"

Rouge recognized that voice too! _'Knuckles! But I thought he was knocked out onshore…?'_ She turned and saw the red echidna charging at her, eyes blindly fixed on one sight. Before she could scramble out of the way, Knuckles crashed into her, sending them both tumbling through the ferns. Their arms and legs tangled together as they rolled over and over and landed forcefully in a patch of jungle lilies.

Once the dizziness diminished, Rouge realized she was nose-to-nose with Knuckles. His violet gaze and hot breath sent shivers down her spine. A hot, prickly feeling emanated from her chest and traveled to her toes and fingertips, which connected to the muscles of his chest. Her breath caught in her throat and her heartbeat faltered. _'This again-!'_

Gruffly, the echidna pushed her away. "Out of my way, bat!"

Before Rouge could spit out a sour reply, he dashed after the two robots. Rouge shook her head to clear all the blood rushing to her cheeks and jumped to her feet. As she followed him in pursuit, she couldn't fight the small smile forcing its way to her lips. _'I missed that charm.'_

Rouge zipped between tree trunks and under thick vines with the help of her powerful wings. She quickly up to Knuckles. Side by side, the duo traversed the jungle, chasing down the enemy. Their steps fell in sync, creating a smooth rhythm. She stole a small glance at him and saw him looking back. Again an irresistible smirk appeared on her lips.

Bocoe and Decoe were in sight. Knuckles and Rouge pushed themselves harder, working as a unit. Just as they were closing in, the ground collapsed. Dirt and leaves went from under their feet to a fierce whirlwind rushing around them. Rouge felt her stomach leap to her throat but she was unable to scream. Everything was spinning out of control.

She felt Knuckles grab her wrist and yank her closer to him. Startled, Rouge saw him grit his teeth to fight against the torrent and protectively wrap himself around her before they hit the ground with a heavy THUD! and were covered with a blanket of debris.

•○•○•○•○•

"Whaddya mean Knuckles is missing?" Sonic stopped in his tracks when Tails broke the unsettling news. Fortunately, he was able to contact his friend. Unfortunately, their contact was to discuss an emergency. He frowned into his com-link. "That poison looked like it would've kept the Sasquatch out for days!"

Tails' voice was taut with panic. "I know Sonic! I mean, I don't know! I thought I'd be away from the X-Tornado—I mean, the radio—just for a few minutes! I don't—I—I—"

"It's okay, Tails. Amy, Vanilla, and I will find him. How hard could it be to spot a bright red echidna in broad daylight?"

Amy chimed in cheerfully, "Yeah Tails! Don't worry, we can handle this!"

There was a brief hesitation followed by a deep sigh on the other end before the fox spoke again. "I believe in you guys. Good luck!"

Sonic dropped his arm and faced his teammates, flashing them a giant grin. "Oh man, I can't wait to see what Knuckles got tricked into doing this time! This is gonna be fun!" He dashed off into the jungle, leaving Amy and Vanilla to share beguiled expressions.

Amy offered her hand. "Shall we?"

Vanilla jauntily accepted. "Let's!" Together they merrily skipped after the speedy blue hedgehog.

•○•○•○•○•

In the confounds of his clandestine underground lab, Dr. Robotnik hunched over a dimly lit computer screen. His white-gloved fingers danced over a keyboard, recording the results of his experiment. The hue of the monitor glinted off the doctor's shaded glasses as they shifted to accommodate his baneful smirk. _'Finally, everything is going as planned!'_

"Dr. Robotnik! Dr. Robotnik!" The panicked voices of his robotic stewards were like an ear-piercing alarm echoing from a nearby tunnel. He massaged his temples, preparing to atone whatever problem his incompetent bastards created.

Decoe and Bocoe's metal feet clanking against volcanic rock amplified the closer they got to the center of the base. Robotnik swiveled in his chair to welcome his inefficient inferiors, emitting a single word that carried enough venom to wipe out an entire civilization: "What?"

Decoe's lanky limbs stumbled through the cave first, arms flapping urgently. Bocoe crashed into him seconds later and sent the pair tumbling at the doctor's feet. He pushed Decoe's head down to speak to their boss, but Decoe swung his torso around and bowled over his counterpart with his legs. They tried to scrap by punching and kicking each other before Robotnik interrupted with a heart-stopping roar. "IDIOTS! I told you not to come back with empty hands!"

Bocoe gave one last push before opening the hatch on his chest to retrieve a small beaker filled with a thick, shiny red fluid. "Look, Doctor! I found marasium!"

"Is that what you came in here causing a ruckus to tell me?"

Stepping in front of his gray companion, Decoe interjected, "WE found marasium!"

"Oh yes, your exceptional display of teamwork is certainly worth interrupting my work." Robotnik swiveled back to his monitor with a harsh scoff. He resumed typing in results, deep in thought over the implications for his future planning and course of action.

Decoe and Bocoe exchanged nervous glances, wondering who should be the bearer of bad news after their obvious success. They proceeded to duke it out over a vicious game of rock, paper, scissors. Tie. Tie. Tie. Bocoe finally won with a fatal blow of paper to Decoe's rock. He yipped, then stepped back to let Decoe speak. The tall yellow robot nervously cleared his mechanical throat to grab his master's attention, but the latter deliberately ignored him and stayed put with eyes glued to the computer screen.

"Well, um, Doctor, it would seem that addition to the desired marasium we brought back for you, there—er—appears to be something else that made it back to volcano. Or should I say, someone else—"

"WHAT?! This island has been hidden from modern civilization for centuries! It is _impossible_ for anyone to find it!" Now they had Robotnik's full attention.

Bocoe tentatively raised a finger. "But we have found this island, Doctor."

The heat of Robotnik's terrifying glare forced Bocoe to shrivel in his spot. "It's impossible for anyone without my stunning intellect to find it."

"Think again, Egghead!"

Robotnik screeched when he whipped around to see a trio of intruders standing at the cave entrance. Sonic stood cross-armed and gleeful with Amy and Vanilla at either side. Amy twirled her Piko Piko hammer like a delicate baton, ready to rumble. She remarked, "Looks like espionage isn't part of your stunning intellect."

"You! How did you find this place?!" Decoe gasped.

Vanilla snorted, standing with one hand on her hip. "It's not that often you see a couple of big shiny robots running around the jungle."

Robotnik threw a sweeping glare at his minions and they shrunk back in terror. "Bocoe, Decoe. Pack my things." Before the doctor could take a single step, Sonic whooshed over to stand in front of him. Ever grinning, he looked right at his nemesis far too happily.

"Aw, c'mon Eggy. The party just got started!"

Robotnik eyed Sonic and offered his own smirk. "Indeed it has, you little rodent. And I promise you will it be a good one!" He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small gray object. Amy and Vanilla gasped when they saw it, and even Sonic took a step back. It looked exactly like the device they found in the forest! Jamming his thumb on the red logo, Robotnik activated it. It started to expand and flash different colors until it was three times its original size. On front, a black monitor appeared with "0:10:00" in red. To Sonic's dismay, the timer immediately started counting down. _'A bomb!'_

Robotnik gently set the contraption on the rocky floor. "I promised fun, and I did deliver! But wait, I have another surprise for you pests! The doctor glided over to what remained of his desk and flipped a switch. The wall opposite to Amy and Vanilla crumbled away to reveal another tunnel. In the middle of the opening, a group of black-clad figures sat, crumpled over dejectedly. Their arms and legs were bound by chains. They all looked up and saw Sonic, smiling weakly. It was the lost Seahawk crew!

Amy and Vanilla immediately recognized the captives and ran over to free them, but Robotnik intercepted with an added dramatic finger shake. "Ah ah ah! If I were you I would focus on my lovely device here first. This volcano is a hot spot! If that bomb sets it off, it will trigger a chain reaction in every other volcano and cause a massive earthquake! Such a disaster has never occurred before, and I doubt the planet would be able to survive!" Robotnik threw back his head to scream with mad laughter. It echoed through all the nearby tunnels, sounding like hundreds of clones laughing maniacally.

Amy covered her ears and staggered back, wincing at the horrible sound, while Vanilla peered him closely. He returned his head to normal and noticed her quizzical gaze. "It's brilliant, I know!"

"You're so messed up." Vanilla's honey-colored eyes narrowed in condescension. "Like, really messed up."

"I prefer evil genius, but I was raised on manners so I'll take a compliment when offered." In the blink of an eye, the doctor's floating mobile transport descended from above and whisked him away with his luggage down the same tunnel they came from. He veered directly in the path where Amy was standing, carelessly charging forward.

Before she could think to react, Robotnik was upon her. Just as he neared collision, Sonic dashed over at super speed, throwing himself at Amy and knocking them both to the ground. Robotnik flew off without scraping either of them, cackling all the way.

As the echoes of the doctor's howling subsided, Sonic stood up and offered his pink friend a hand. "You okay Amy?"

Amy promptly yanked her hero back to the ground and threw her arms around him in a spine-cracking embrace. "Of course I'm okay! You saved me Sonic! Thank you so much!"

"Great, you can pay me back by letting me breathe!" Sonic coughed and sputtered while Amy relentlessly squeezed him. He tried to push her away but she was so strong, so he succumbed to the hug. Once he stopped resisting, he felt Amy's grip loosen slightly. Carefully, Sonic raised his arms and returned the hug. He closed his eyes, breathing in Amy's sweet, sugary scent.

Vanilla cleared her throat loudly, startling the embracing duo. They immediately pulled apart while Sonic tried to mask his reddening complexion. Vanilla showed a brief flicker of a smirk before getting serious. "I hate to interrupt, but we've got some rescuing to do and a bomb to stop!" She immediately turned to the G.U.N prisoners and used a laser knife on her com-link to slice the chain links. Noting their weakened condition, she asked, "Is anyone here sick or injured?"

A brown-haired middle aged man from the center spoke up. "We are all healthy, just weakened from hunger." He watched with intrigue as the anthropomorphic rabbit finished cutting the chains. "My name is Lieutenant Wersch. On behalf of my crew, I formally thank you for rescuing us." He gave a respectful nod before adding, "Although I had expected G.U.N to send some of our own agents."

"Oh, they did! In fact…" Vanilla bounced to her feet and tuned the frequency of her com-link to the search party. While she updated G.U.N, Sonic and Amy examined Robotnik's friendly little contraption that ticked away at the limited time they had for escape. Simultaneously, they exchanged uneasy expressions. Neither of them had any experience with diffusing bombs. Amy clasped her hands and murmured, "Sonic, what do we do?"

The blue Mobian closed his eyes. "Knuckles is still out there… I've gotta find him." His eyes suddenly came to life, dancing spryly with a plan in mind. _'It's a long shot, but I've gotta take it.'_ Facing the G.U.N captives, he asked urgently, "Does anyone here know how to diffuse a bomb?" The group looked around, murmuring quietly amongst themselves. Finally one mousey agent timidly raised his hand, trembling with insecurity. His voice emerged as a pre-pubescent squeak. "I do. But not all bombs—"

"Great, Amy, once he gets that bomb under control, work with Lieutenant Wersch to get everyone out and head right to the beach. Vanilla, stay in contact with the search party in case something happens."

Amy angrily put her hands on her hips, glaring at the cocky hedgehog. "You're leaving us?!"

"I can't leave Knuckles to fend for himself. He'll never make it if he's still out there doped up. And I won't leave anyone behind." Softening his expression, Sonic caressed Amy's shoulder. "I need you to pull through without me and get everyone to safety. I'm counting on you, Amy." Sonic immediately saw the admiration in her eyes and knew he had her. Those green gems always sparkled a little more when talking to him.

Pulling away from Amy, Sonic looked to both girls for confirmation. They nodded, and Sonic felt his typical confidence returning in strides. His toes itched to run free again, off on another fast-paced adventure. _'And save Knuckles, of course.'_ Although he flashed his signature grin at both Amy and Vanilla, Sonic's eyes drifted to Amy one more time, giving an involuntary wink.

He sped off into a tunnel, running deeper into the volcano. A little voice in the back of his head nagged about leaving her and Vanilla behind, but he squashed it. _'They'll be fine. I trust them.'_ Self-assured as ever, Sonic pushed himself harder and faster, determined not to fail.

* * *

 **Although the element marasium is radioactive, it doesn't have any effect on robots (like Decoe and Bocoe) because they do not have blood chemicals or pH levels that would typically be altered. As a result, they were able to collect it pretty easily without worrying about safety.**

 **Sorry to anyone who was worried about Tails! His little trip away from the radio was only so Knuckles could escape from his testing. But that odd feeling he had about the island still remains...**


	6. Chapter 5: Reunion

**Chapter 5:**

Deep underground in the belly of the volcano, a compilation of tunnels and caves created a vast and confusing network that stretched to the farthest reaches of the island's underground region. The only way to access this network was through hidden entrances created by the civilization that occupied the island centuries ago, one of which Rouge and Knuckles had happened to stumble across, literally.

Rouge led the way down a long and winding pathway using the flashlight on her G.U.N communicator, with an absent-minded Knuckles trailing quietly. She swung the bright light to illuminate every inch of the tunnel, searching for an opening that could mean escape. No doubt her team noticed her absence by now; but she had no way of contacting them since the signal couldn't penetrate the mass of volcanic rock that separated her from them. Instead, she was trapped underground in a strange place with an echidna that, at the moment, was not mentally equipped for any sort of intelligent conversation.

On cue, his indiscernible mumbling broke into a slurred question: "Hey-y Rouge, how d-do you get your wings so shiny? I've been trying… to make mine like that for y-years!"

Rouge rolled her eyes and kept searching for an escape.

"And how come your eyes-s sparkle… like-like all those stars? That-that's not n-natural…!"

She couldn't resist smiling at this compliment, albeit drug-induced. It could have been just the poison talking, but it was nice to hear kind words from Knuckles for a change.

The echidna's speech regressed back to incoherent muttering, so Rouge re-focused her thoughts on scouring the ancient tunnels again. If a working civilization used these tunnels, surely there was more to that than this endless abandoned rock. At least, wishful thinking made her hope so.

After another lifetime of pointless marching passed, Rouge's flashlight finally revealed a new scene. The narrow tunnel broke away into a large cave. Its ceiling glowed a sparkling cerulean color stretching about 50 feet above them, rounding off at the edges and opening up to more tunnels closer to the top. Long blue crystal icicles dangled precariously from the rocky ceiling and clumped around the walls, tantalizing both the treasure hunters' senses. Rich green moss carpeted the floor, also exhibiting a luminescent shine.

Both Mobians stood wide-eyed and open-mouthed in the entrance, trying to take in the scene. The crystals and moss glowed so brightly that Rouge didn't need her flashlight anymore. She cautiously took a step forward, gently planting her steel-toe boots on the luscious algae. It easily absorbed the shape of her feet as she carefully strode over to a mass of sparkling crystals opposite to her. Once she was close enough, Rouge gently reached out to grab a handful of crystals. They were even more stunning up close. She gazed at their splendor, shifting them between her palms. They made her think of happier days, long ago…

On the other end of the cave, Knuckles and his drug-brain scanned the jagged rock wall, noticing a pattern of tiny markings etched into different places. Battling to focus his mind, the red echidna realized they were words! But not of any modern language; these were ancient scripts! Excitement tingled in his chest as he racked his foggy brain to retrieve the littlest scrap of translation he learned over the years of deciphering his own ancestors' ancient manuscripts and documents. Some of the letters began to look familiar. Everything started coming back as he read more and more. Understanding of the message dawned upon him as his eyes flew over the words scrawled on the rocky medium.

Knuckled scrambled over to the other side of the cave, tripping over his feet trying to get to Rouge. Grabbing her shoulder for her attention and for his own balance, Knuckles met her startled gaze and tried to speak, but only guttural throat sounds escaped his lips. He shook his head to clear the fogginess and opened his mouth again, then promptly collapsed.

Rouge rolled her eyes. Not at Knuckles, but at the complete incompetence of highly trained government operatives. If that team had used a lick of common sense, Knuckles wouldn't currently be passed out and drooling like an idiot. Checking his pulse and breathing, Rouge moved her ear toward the echidna's mouth and rotated her head to watch his chest rise and fall.

Sighing in relief, Rouge sat on her knees. The poison hadn't killed him… yet. She saw his chest move faster, shallow and rapid. Then she saw the dopey grin stretched across his face. His violet eyes, focused on her, sparkled while silent laughter escaped from his body. He leaned back and released an excessively happy sigh.

Rouge leaned over and gave Knuckles a quick kiss on the cheek. Whispering into his ear, she hummed, "You'll thank me for this later."

Her ears twitched toward the tunnel from which they came. A single, sharp BOOM echoed through the walls. Then another. And another. There was something else in the tunnels. Something big. And it was getting closer to them.

Rouge jumped to her feet. Grabbing Knuckles, she threw him over her shoulders potato-sack style and took flight to one of the tunnels above. She felt the ground tremble under her boots with each recurring beat, sending vibrations through her thorax. She also felt a distinct twinge of fear building in her chest, but quickly pushed it away. _'The world's greatest treasure hunter is afraid of nothing!'_ The translucent light source from the glowing blue crystals faded as she progressed, slowly casting her and an unconscious Knuckles into darkness. The ivory bat adjusted to the absence of light easily, relying on her sensitive ears with sonar hearing. Her training from G.U.N had prepared her well for situations like this.

"Shoot!" Rouge skidded to a halt when he sensed a sudden end to the tunnel. The echoes of her rapid footsteps bounced off a large object and came back to her ears much sooner than what she was comfortable with. Crouching down to slide Knuckles off her shoulders, Rouge reactivated the flashlight on her wrist communicator. The sharp light reflected dully off of a rock mass fixed no more than a foot away that reached all the way up to the dauntingly tall ceiling, confirming her suspicion.

Escape was not an option. Knuckles and his knack for digging would normally have been useful, but he was rendered useless. Though, Rouge didn't _need_ him; she was more than capable of handling this on her own. Preparing to take down the wall herself, Rouge wound up to deliver a powerful screw kick at the obstruction.

"Ah!" The solid rock wall exploded and sent debris flying in every direction. Rouge dove for cover, protecting Knuckles with her own body. When the dust settled, she strained her eyes in the dark to make out a short and spiky blue figure standing toward them. Knowing he couldn't see it, Rouge smirked wickedly anyway. "Hey Blue! Nice of you to roll in."

The cocky blue hedgehog flashed his signature thumbs up. "Wasn't enough action for me back there. You look like you're having fun," he added, eyeing Rouge's position to Knuckles' unconscious body.

"You know me, I like to see some action too," Rouge shot back without missing a beat.

Their flirtatious banter was cut short by a thunderous BOOM! Followed by another BOOM! Sonic and Rouge shared a knowing look and immediately bounced into action. The quick-thinking bat scooped Knuckles back to her shoulders and followed the quick-footed hedgehog through the newly formed exit. BOOM! It curved sharply upward, breaking into a small opening through which they could see the sky and treetops. They were almost free! BOOM! Rouge flapped her powerful wings to propel herself along the curve of the tunnel. Without missing a beat, Sonic leapt, ricocheted off the rock wall, and hooked his fingers around Rouge's steel-toe boot. Her wings wooshed with effort as the trio ascended closer to freedom. BOOM!

Rouge kept her eyes glued to the opening, trying to ignore the heavy snarling that now echoed behind them. BOOM! Rocks were crumbling. BOOM! Rouge burst through the opening, shooting out toward the sky with a cheer as the ground exploded and a heart-stopping "ROOAAARRR!" sent chills up her spine.

Landing roughly in a thick tangle of leaves connecting multiple treetops, Sonic and Rouge scrambled to their feet just in time to witness a giant monster bursting through the escape hole, destroying it in the process. They winced as broken rock and debris flew everywhere, raining down on them. Then they saw it. Standing taller than the highest tree and fiercer than anything they've ever seen was the monster. Mustard eyes bulged out of its gray scaly face, and its giant incisors poked out of a large ugly snout. It stood on all fours, rearing back to unleash another teeth-chattering "ROOAARRR!"

Knuckles abruptly woke from his trance, startled by all the noise. His head shot up and his purple eyes dilated in alarm at the sight of the monster. "What the—" Rouge threw her hand over the echidna's mouth to silence him. He slowly removed it and continued gaping at the scene before them, recalling everything he'd read on the cave walls with sudden clarity. "It's the Great Monster!" he hissed to his allies. "The one that wiped out the Marasian civilization centuries ago!"

Sonic raised a quizzical brow. "what are you talking about bro?"

"Ignore him. It's the drugs talking." Rouge waved her hand in dismissal.

Knuckles pressed his lips together, suppressing the urge to knock the bat's teeth in. Instead, he insisted, "I'm not crazy! I translated the scripts on the cave wall. The Marasians wrote about a great monster that terrorized them and eventually destroyed them. And that's it right there!"

"Riiight. And did your ancient scripts say anything about beating this monsters butt?" Sonic queried with a touch of disbelief. On cue, the giant beast noticed the heroes hiding out in the tree and rushed them. Snarling viciously, it clawed at the trunk and snapped its gruesome fangs at them, crushing the bright green foliage and narrowly missing the trio. Sonic, Rouge, and Knuckles dove for cover, landing in a network of jungle ferns. They all exchanged knowing looks, equally confident and unshakeable.

"Looks like we'll have to take it down Knuckles-style!" The fiery red echidna knocked his fists together, seemingly cured of his drug-ridden state and ready to battle. Sonic and Rouge rolled their eyes but stood behind him anyway, ready to fight for their lives.

•○•○•○•○•

Amy's heartbeat pounded in her ears as she led her charge through the jungle, relishing the adrenaline rush. Her best friend and partner in crime ran beside her. They were all fortunate to be alive considering all the terrors they'd experienced so far. Amy shuddered thinking about how that bomb ticked away their seconds of survival ceasing just before detonation at the hands of one particularly skilled, or fortunate, G.U.N agent.

Now, despite the jungle humidity smacking her face, the fuchsia hedgehog saw the end of this terror on doom island. Just a few more minutes and they'd see Tails and G.U.N troops on the beach waiting to fly them home and—

"ROOAAARRR!" Amy's feet slid across a pile of leaves as she abruptly came to a stop. Vanilla skidded next to her and mirrored her best friend's expression of terror. BOOM! The girls nearly jumped out of their skin at the thunderous sound. "ROOAAARRR!"

Amy turned to Vanilla, emerald eyes wide with fear, but not for them. She knew the rabbit instantly understood her concern when the latter frowned with acute apprehension. "Ames, he's fine."

"What if he's not?!" The hysteria already settled in, resulting in her shaken pitch.

Vanilla placed a comforting hand on the hedgehog's petite shoulder. "He knows how to pick his own battles."

Amy stared blankly. Had the situation not been so dire, they would have instantly burst into laughter at the farcical statement. Instead, Vanilla's large ears flopped with her shaking head as she grumbled, "Who am I kidding? Let's go save his blue behind."

Offering a wordless sigh of gratitude, Amy addressed their band of followers. "Everyone keep going. Your ride is straight ahead to the beach. We've got some other things to take care of first." She waited while the former captives nodded and continued on the path to safety, feeling a twinge of insecurity about her decision. The feeling lasted only a second as she reminded herself she wouldn't be able to live without Sonic alive and well, not if there was anything she could do about it.

"ROOAAARRR!"

"I guess that's our cue!" Amy took off before the fear could overwhelm her. The love she had for Sonic outshined everything; it motivated her to every day to set new limits with boundless ambition. She felt a wave of energy ripple through her core, compelling her to run faster to save her beloved.

Amy sensed they were getting closer. Soon they could hear vicious snarling echoing loudly through the dense jungle. _'I'm coming Sonic!'_

•○•○•○•○•

Sonic, Knuckles and Rouge couldn't believe their eyes. Sonic and Rouge gaped, while Knuckles grinned. They had been taking cover from the monster in a small cave, unaware that it was already occupied. Standing before them were five member of a civilization rumored to be lost for hundreds of years. The Marasians!

They were human, of course. Standing at no more than five foot each, they had decorations on their skin made with artistic lines and colors. Ragged pieces of fabric covered the essentials of their bodies. Their eyes pierced everything in sight, ranging from dark brown to jade green to clear blue. They stared at the trio of strangers warily without making a move.

"I don't believe this." Rouge quickly recovered from shock and crossed her arms. "This has to be a prank."

Knuckles continued grinning and reached for a high-five from a frozen Sonic. "Believe it Batgirl. I knew I read those cave scripts right! That poison had nothing on me!" Missing an eye roll from Rouge, he approached the Marasians cautiously and slowly kneeled while bowing his head. He started speaking a strange language, one they seemed to understand. Their faces softened, and they nodded and murmured with each other.

Sonic finally leaned over and whispered to Rouge, "What do you think they're talking about?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe where the closest wine-tasting festival is?" Rouge snapped. "Or whatever these freaks do in their free time." _'Since when is Knucklehead an expert on cultures that don't exist anymore?'_

At last Knuckles turned back to his allies, beaming wide. "No need to thank me, guys. Knuckles has it all under control!"

Rouge strolled up to him, masking her irritation with a sweet, seductive tone. "Sweetie, I'm glad your confidence has grown and probably peaked over this minor victory, but keep in mind that you're the only one who has any scrap of menial knowledge about this civilization that up until now hasn't existed for the last few centuries, while the rest of us spend our time doing things that are relevant to modern society. So be a sweet little Chao and help us understand why we shouldn't be concerned that you are apparently now heading this mission." Her face was inches away.

Knuckles growled, "Relevant like working as a government spy and jewel thief?" Sensing his aggression, the Marasians flocked defensively around him and pulled spears out of nowhere.

"Tomato, to-mah-to," Rouge tsked, eyeing the capable warriors. "Tell your new friends if they touch me they'll not only be long-lost again but extinct too." She tried to gently lower the sharp tip of one weapon away from her face, but the Marasian held it stubbornly.

Knuckles said something in their language, causing them to relax, but not without suspicious looks aimed at the ivory bat. Their attention was redirected to Knuckles again when he addressed Sonic and Rouge. "These guys can help us defeat the Great Monster! They've been at war with it for years, but if we join forces we can conquer it for good!"

"ROOAAARRR!"

"How rude of us to keep that thing waiting!" Sonic joked, making his way toward the exit. From outside, he heard a terrifying high-pitched scream that made him freeze. He knew that scream.

Before he could dash out in blind panic, a pink blur flew in and knocked into them. They tumbled across the cave floor, followed by a cream-colored figure.

"Amy! Vanilla! What are you doing here?!"

Amy immediately locked her love in one of her famous embraces, forgetting about the danger that was at hand. "Oh, Sonic! I was worried! I thought that monster got you and I came to save you!" She nuzzled into the crook of his neck, inhaling his beautiful scent.

The blue hedgehog smiled warmly. "Save me? You look like you're the one that needs saving."

Vanilla watched on, thinking about how adorable they would be as a real couple. Then she noticed the band of strange-looking humans nearby, letting out a little yelp. "Who are you?!" she demanded.

Knuckles stepped forward, startling her even more. "Relax, they're with us."

"Wha—When did you get here?!" Vanilla stuttered in confusion, pointing at the red echidna. "And you!" She motioned toward Rouge. "Where's your team?"

"Doesn't matter. We've got a monster to take down." Knuckles pushed past the shocked bunny, snatching Sonic out of Amy's grasp and leading the Marasians to head the charge. Rouge followed closely, throwing the girls a smug wink as she passed. Vanilla and Amy were left behind, frozen in confusion.

Finally the bunny grumbled, "He's not gonna leave us behind that easy! Let's go Amy!" She grabbed the pink hedgehog and they scurried after the gang. Outside the cave, everyone formed a battle line, facing the Great Monster. It unleashed another gut-wrenching "ROOAAARRR!" upon seeing the heroes and prepared to attack, baring its giant fangs.

Knuckles stood his ground against the terrible wall of sound at the front of the pack, leading them all. "Let's take this thing down, once and for all!" With a mighty warrior's shout, he led the charge that began the last battle on the Island of Marasia.

* * *

 **Rouge's jealousy in this chapter highlights a significant aspect of her personality: selfishness. She was clearly not pleased that the one person whose attention she desires most had shifted drastically to complete strangers. Even more, there was nothing she could do about it other than lash out. While they were in the cave, Rouge was content because she had Knuckles all to herself and was able to discern some hidden, warm tingly feelings he carried for her.**

 **How do you think this selfish attitude will pan out for Rouge? Will karma come back around?**


End file.
